I couldn't just leave you guys hanging on that 800-word sad chapter. So, I decided to give y'all something fun earlier than usual.

To all who are confused about who this Jack person is, there's a little background in my story, Old and New Friends!

I own nothing you recognize as canon.


28: Rescue

Some Families Aren't Even Related

A ten-year-old Leo Valdez shivered inside an alley. It was winter, and even Texas was feeling the cold weather. He'd run off from his third home just two days ago. The Sanchez foster home was nice, but there were too many kids, too many mouths to feed, and too little attention for all. Leo supposed Jessie, the youngest girl and his favorite foster sister, was nice. If it had been just her and the parents, maybe he would have stayed longer.

Leo pulled out the strip of pictures of him and Jessie at the mall together. He smiled sadly and put them back in his shoe, where he put two other pictures. One was the only one he had of his mother, the other was of his second foster home with the Marlowe family. He'd only spent three days with his first foster family—also named Sanchez—so he had no photos to prove he'd bonded with them.

He sneezed and pulled the flimsy blanket around his shoulders. A chill wind pierced his chest. He hoped he wouldn't catch a cold. He'd not gotten sick since he was little, but sometimes the unexpected happened.

Oh, good; it was raining now. As if he needed more reasons to get sick.

Leo shivered in the rain, desperately keeping down the blasted fire inside of him. It wanted to get out, to warm him on the outside. He forced it down, keeping only his internal temperature up.

He slumped further against the wall, squishing himself between a couple trash bags. He didn't want to sleep, but the cold was inviting, even with his upped temperature. He closed his eyes and slept.


Jack Dawkins ran from the cops. They'd caught him tagging the wall of a convenience store and were trying to chase him. Not that they were succeeding. Jack was a fast runner and very cunning.

He fled into a dark alley, using the cold rain to mask his escape. He ducked behind a dumpster. As the cops kept running down the wrong way, he held back a laugh. Jack shifted position to make himself more comfortable.

"Ow."

Jack looked down and gasped. A little boy groaned and rubbed his head. He looked up at the teenager with an annoyed expression. "Why'd you kick me?" he moaned. He had a thick Mexican accent.

Jack's eyes widened. What was this kid doing here? "Sorry."

The boy shifted and curled into a tight ball. Jack could see him shivering.

"You don't have a home?" A stupid question, but Jack felt obligated to ask.

The boy didn't respond right away. It took him a minute. "I don't need one."

So young, Jack thought. It's not right. Jack sat down next to the kid. "Most kids think that," he said. "I'm sure your parents are worried about you."

The kid gave him a hard stare. "My mom's gone," he growled. "Never knew my dad."

He sneezed, then sniffled. Jack put his hand on the kid's forehead. The kid tried to turn away, but one touch was all Jack needed.

"You've got a fever," he told the kid.

"Nah, I've just got a naturally high temperature." The kid coughed a couple times.

Jack shook his head. "No, you got a cold. You shouldn't be out here in this weather."

"Neither should you."

"Yeah, but I'm old enough to make stupid decisions. From the size of you, I'd say you need a family to take care of you until you really are old enough."

The kid stuck his tongue out. "This ain't my first time, dummy. Go away and preach to someone who cares."

Jack stood and grabbed the kid. He hurled him over his strong shoulders and started walking, confident the cops were far enough away. The kid yowled and struggled in protest.

"Let me go," he whined. "I don't need anybody!" He coughed again. "Don't take me to the police!"

"I'm not." Jack ignored the kid's constant pounding against his back. He felt unnaturally warm, especially in this cold weather. He needed a dry place to stay.

Jack brought him to an abandoned gas station. He walked through the empty aisles and went straight to the back room, finally stepping down into the large basement. The kid had stopped complaining when Jack said police weren't going to be involved, but his coughs had gotten worse. He definitely had a cold, or perhaps the flu.

Jack flicked on the light. The basement heralded a few sleeping bags and tents, as well as a ping pong table, broken arcade games, cracked patio table, and moldy chairs. On those chairs surrounding the patio table sat three teens playing cards—two girls, Rita and Francis, and one guy, Eddy.

Rita was Jack's girlfriend. She was African American with red-brown hair that fell past her shoulders beautifully and expressive eyes framed by just enough make-up. Francis was a beauty queen kinda girl, but she was tough in a scrap, and great at distractions. Eddy…well, his height and strength certainly made up for his lack of brain-power. The poor guy wasn't the brightest crayon in the box, but he was loyal to his crew, which was led by Jack himself.

All had the mark of the Dodgers on them—a tattoo brand in the shape of a spade with a sun in the middle. Didn't mean much; it was just a cool design.

The kid's coughing drew everyone's attention. Rita hopped up from her chair and was first to arrive at Jack's side. "'the Hell's up with him?" she asked. "He sick?"

"No," the kid sniffled.

"Yes," Jack growled at the same moment. "He's homeless and needs a warm place to stay."

"I'm warm enough."

Rita smacked his leg. The kid yelped and kicked blindly, making contact with nothing. "Shut up, kid," Rita scolded. "You look sick, sound sick, and act sick. So, I'mma take care of you 'til you get better." She looked at Jack. "Set him in that corner and I'll get that first aid kit."

Jack obeyed. The kid protested weakly, but he sat still as Rita came up again. Over the course of a few years, Rita had gathered—and stolen—some basic medicines and ointments. She knew how to heal, and a cold was nothing to her.

She placed a thermometer under the kid's tongue, which read out to be 120. She and Jack both blinked in alarm. The highest a temperature should go before death should be 111 at the most! This kid was still able to kick and didn't seem to be dying any time soon.

Francis brought a small bucket of clean water and a rag. Eddy helped dry the kid off before a cold rag was placed on the kid's forehead. The kid kept complaining, "I can do it myself. Don't touch me." But a second smack from Rita made him obedient and he let the teens take care of him. He hesitantly took some pills for his cough, and drank a bottle of water that had been offered to him.

When Rita got him situated in a sleeping bag with a blanket and pillow, the kid yawned and closed his eyes. Jack told everyone else to go to sleep as well, seeing as they'd all probably had a long day.


The next day, Jack woke up to a weird noise. He lifted his head out of his tiny tent and saw the kid he'd taken in halfway inside one of the arcade games against the wall.

"Hey!" Jack wearily stumbled out of the tent and grabbed the kid, dragging him out into the open. "You shouldn't be up! You're sick!"

"I am not," the kid growled, running a hand through his grease-slicked curly hair. "I'm better now, see?"

Jack did see that he was not coughing or sneezing. He felt the kid's forehead, which was still burning hot. The kid shrugged. "Check if you want. I've always had a 110 temperature. I told you, it's naturally high."

Jack checked anyway. The thermometer read 110, just like the kid predicted. "You sure?"

He nodded. "Duh. I'm just naturally hot." He grinned impishly. "By the way, my name's Leo."

Jack nodded. "Jack."

"Who were those other guys?"

"The Dodgers."

"They your gang?"

"Duh."

"Well, just so you know, I ain't interested in joining a gang."

"We like to think of ourselves as more of a family," Jack defended. "It's not like we go around shooting people left and right. Our specialty's stealing to survive, run to live."

Leo cocked an eyebrow. "Running, huh?"

"Always keep moving," Jack said. "That's our motto. This location's just the latest place to sleep. We got a few hiding spots scattered through the city."

Leo stuck his hands in his pockets and looked sheepish. "Well…that's not so bad. I guess…"

Jack ruffled the boy's hair. "How old are you, Leo?"

"Ten."

"Tell you what—how about you stay with us for a while? No brand. No forcing you to stay. You feel the need to get out, then get out. We've had a few members come and go like that. They're like our extended family. The only rule for you is that you can't smoke or drink until you're a proper teenager—like 15, not 13. Deal?"

Leo shrugged. "Beats the heck outta bunking down in a dumpster, I suppose. I get to do what I like?"

"What do you like?"

Leo gestured to the arcade game. "Lemme show you."

He bumped his hip against the old machine, and Pac-Man sprang to life. Instead of INSERT COIN, the screen flashed INSERT NUTHIN'! I'M FREE, BABY!

Jack's jaw dropped. "That was broken."

Leo grinned. "Not 'nymore. Call it a gift." His accent grew thicker the more excited he got. "I like messin' with stuff like this. Rigged a 'stang once with my bare hands."

Jack whistled. "Impressive. We could use dirty hands like yours. You up for some trouble?"

"My aunt always said I was born trouble, so why not?"


Years later, Leo would reminisce over the first meeting between Jack and himself. At first, Leo had thought the whole thing a kidnapping, or a hostage situation. Only when he looked back did he realize it had been a rescue. Jack had rescued Leo from a terrible night shivering in the rain, suffering from what would have been pneumonia.

That rescue had led to some of the happiest times in Leo's life. The Dodgers were the closest thing he'd had to a real family before his time in Camp Half-Blood. They cared for him.

Though there had been some close calls with the gang, and it had put some new stuff on Leo's ever-growing criminal record, Leo would always admit that he would never trade any of those moments for anything.


A/N: Yay! Gang Leo! And the gang (whose ending still wasn't too happy in retrospect) isn't that bad~! Disney-fy everything!